Cigarette with air dilution means



July 30, 1968 E. GRASS. 3,394,708

CIGARETTE WITH AIR DILUTION MEANS Filed June 24, 1966 1 Fig.1

lNVENTOR EL/o GRR 55/ M KW @wd/ W W United States Patent 01 iice3,394,798 Patented July 30, 1968 3,394,708 CIGARETTE WITH AIR DILUTIONMEANS Elio Grassi, Via Gelli 45, Florence, Italy Filed June 24, 1966,Ser. No. 560,269 Claims priority, application Italy, July 8, 1965,15,723/65 2 Claims. (Cl. 131--l5) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A paperwrapper for a cigarette is formed of a strip of cigarette paper having afirst end intended to form a mouthpiece and a second end intended to belighted. The paper Wrapper is provided with two longitudinally extendingtransversely spaced rows of holes with the holes in one row offsetlongitudinally with respect to the holes in the other row. The rows ofholes terminate at spaced positions from the mouthpiece end of the paperwrapper. When the cigarette is lighted air is drawn through the holes todilute the smoke passing through the cigarette to the mouthpiece.Preferably the rows of holes are disposed in diametrically opposedoffset relationship for the optimum dilution and mixture of air with thecigarette smoke.

Summary of the invention This invention relates to cigarettes and to thepaper strip used in making cigarettes.

It is known that cigarette smoke, drawn in by suction through thetubular sheath resulting from the combustion of tobacco at the end ofthe same cigarette, often causes an irritating eifect on the mucousmembranes of the smoker.

One object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette whichdecreases the irritating effect of the smoke.

According to the present invention there is provided a system forreducing the irritating efiect on a smoker of smoke drawn from acigarette, said system including the production of a plurality ofapertures in the paper wrapper of the cigarette, and drawing smokethrough the cigarette and air in through the apertures, whereby thesmoke is diluted by air.

Still further according to the present invention there is provided apaper strip for use in the manufacture of cigarettes, said strip havinga plurality of apertures therein for each length of strip correspondingto one cigarette.

Yet further according to the present invention there is provided in aprocess for the manufacture of a cigarette, the step of producing aplurality of apertures in the paper of the cigarette before introductionof tobacco.

Yet further according to the present invention there is provided aprocess for the manufacture of cigarettes comprising the steps ofperforating a strip of cigarette paper with a plurality of apertures,cutting the strip into cigarette lengths, and filling said lengths withtobacco.

An embodiment of a cigarette in accordance with the invention will nowbe described, by way of example, with references to the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cigarette in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the cigarette of FIG. 2 on line IIIIof FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 s a cross-section on the line IIIIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a paper strip for making cigarettes inaccordance with the invention.

As shown in the drawing, the cigarette S has a sheath G, made from astrip N (see FIG. 4), which is provided with two series or rows ofapertures F F arranged in two longitudinal lines, the apertures of oneseries being ofiset or out-of-phase with respect to those of the other.

When the cigarette is lighted the intake of air and smoke by the smokeris effected in the direction of the arrows 1, at the holder or filterend and smoke from the burning end being drawn in as indicated by arrowand air being additionally drawn in as indicated by arrows f The amountof air drawn in depends upon the number of the apertures and thepositions thereof. Mixing of air and smoke in a tortuous path i obtainedwithin the cigarette. Progressively with the consumption of thecigarette, the number of apertures for the entry of the air is reduced,but simultaneously the elfect of the return, due to the suction orintake, increases, and thus the proportions of the air and smoke mixedwith each other remain practically constant.

I claim:

1. A cigarette comprising a longitudinally extending strip of cigarettepaper formed in a cylindrical shape and containing tobacco, said stripof paper having a first end arranged to act as a mouthpiece for thecigarette and a second end arranged to be lighted, two longitudinallyextending rows of open holes formed through said strip of paper, theholes in one of said rows offset longitudinally with respect to theholes in the other said row, and said rows spaced from one another andarranged to be located on opposite sides of the cigarette constituting ameans whereby after the cigarette is lighted and smoke is drawn throughit, air is drawn through the holes in an alternating pattern into andthrough the tobacco for mixture with and dilution of the cigarette smokepassing therethrough in a tortuous path.

2. A paper wrapper as set forth in claim 1, wherein said rows of holescommence at a transverse location spaced closer to said second end thansaid first end of said paper strip.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,314,147 3/1943 Langdon "131-92,440,396 4/1948 Doppelt 131-198 2,838,052 6/1958 Crisafulli 131-1982,923,647 2/1960 Aghnides 13110X 2,988,088 6/1961 Schur 131 10 2,992,6477/1961 Figge 131-9 3,057,360 10/1962 Bugge "131-9 3,058,476 10/1962Atkins 131-187 3,260,266 7/1966 Miller 131187 ALDRICH F. MEDBERY,Primary Examiner.

